More than 300 flats planned for ‘vibrant new quarter’ on Edinburgh’s waterfront

New apartments to be formed over a four-plot development with heights ranging from five to eight storeys.

Plans have been unveiled for a “vibrant new quarter” on Edinburgh’s waterfront featuring more than 300 new flats, office and retail space.

Forth Ports has submitted an initial planning application to the city council for its Harbour 31 project, located on a 4.7-acre waterfront site at the Port of Leith. The proposed redevelopment of the site, close to the new FirstStage film studio, would provide 337 new homes including studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments and some 244 square metres of commercial space.

Harbour 31 is situated to the south of Edinburgh Dock within the port facility and is currently used for industrial port activities. It is located close to existing and other proposed residential developments and the extended Edinburgh tram network, which now runs to Granton. The new apartments would be formed over a four-plot development with heights ranging from five to eight storeys.

An artist's impression of part of Harbour 31, a new housing, commercial and retail development on a 4.7-acre waterfront site at the Port of Leith.

Forth Ports said the redevelopment of the area represented an “exciting opportunity to create a new neighbourhood” while providing public space which would enhance the city’s connection to the waterfront. As well as benefiting from the recently opened tram extension with a halt designed for the Port of Leith, the proposed development will include a new transport corridor to encourage “sustainable modes of transport” including a bus route, cycle lane and walking route linking Bath Road to Ocean Way. The apartments will all have access to bike storage.

In addition, an application has been made for listed building consent for works associated with alterations to Edinburgh Dock for the provision of surface drainage for the proposed development. The site sits on a dockside location and is said to fit well with the city council’s local development plan for a housing-led, mixed-use development. The proposals have been drafted by Comprehensive Design Architects (CDA), a practice based in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Pamela Smyth, chief legal and property officer of landowner Forth Ports Group, said: “At Harbour 31 we want to create a vibrant new quarter for people to live and work in, as new green jobs come to Leith. The port is transitioning into Scotland’s largest renewables hub and, coupled with the benefits which will be unlocked as part of the Forth Green Freeport, Leith will be completely regenerated. With the option to walk or cycle to work or get the tram into the city centre, this new neighbourhood will be a key part of the continued regeneration of Leith.”

The plans also include car parking provision, though given the location of the site and the “excellent public transport provision” and local amenities in the vicinity, that parking provision will be around 20 per cent and include accessible parking spaces and be electric vehicle (EV) ready, Forth Ports added.

In May 2021, the group announced the creation of a £40 million renewable energy hub at the Port of Leith which is set to be operational this summer. In 2019, Forth Ports completed its Harbour Gateway housing development of 234 “mid-market” homes on a site adjacent to the Western Harbour development.

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